By Uziah Tusaasire
Rubanda District Chairman Steven Ampeire Kasyaba has criticised the Minister for Local Government Balaam Barugahara and his deputy Justin Nameere over their approach to fighting corruption, accusing them of turning investigations into public spectacles instead of allowing professional processes to take place.
The chairman says publicly suspending or dismissing suspects before investigations are completed risks undermining justice and weakening possible court cases.
“Suspending or dismissing suspects on camera is designed for optics, not justice. It creates the illusion of action while avoiding the hard work of evidence collection, forensic audits and prosecutorial follow-through,” he said.
He added that publicly portraying suspects as guilty before investigations violates the principle of presumption of innocence.
“When you publicly suspend someone before investigations are complete, you are already creating a guilty verdict in the public eye. This can bias witnesses, pressure investigators and make the final case legally vulnerable,” he said.
The chairman also questioned claims that Uganda loses about Shs9 trillion annually to corruption, saying the fight against corruption should focus on strengthening institutions mandated to investigate and prosecute offenders.
“The fight against corruption cannot be won through political statements and media appearances. It requires empowered institutions, evidence-based investigations and independent prosecution,” he said.
He warned that bypassing institutions such as the Inspectorate of Government, Criminal Investigations Directorate, Directorate of Public Prosecutions, Auditor General and Financial Intelligence Authority could weaken accountability efforts.
“Politicians should not create parallel systems that compete with professional investigators. When institutions are weakened, cases collapse and nobody is held accountable,” he said.
Kasyaba said the fight against corruption requires proper investigations, coordinated enforcement and limited political interference.
He added that actions taken within the Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs to address corruption were handled through institutional processes rather than public exposure.
“The actions taken by the CDF in fighting corruption within the Ministry of Defence were not done for cameras. They followed internal processes,” he said.
He urged Minister Balaam and his deputy to allow investigations to follow established procedures, saying suspected officials should be handled through legal and administrative channels.
